Chapter 1. The SQL Server landscape
Figure 1.1. From there to here: a brief history of SQL Server from 1993 to today
Figure 1.2. SQL Server Books Online is an essential reference companion.
Figure 1.3. This book targets best practices across the four key areas, or pillars, of a DBA’s responsibility: security, availability, reliability, and recoverability.
Chapter 2. Storage system sizing
Figure 2.1. Characterizing I/O workload is a crucial prerequisite in designing the appropriate storage system. Unlike OLTP, OLAP systems typically consist of fewer but larger sequential read dominant transactions.
Figure 2.2. Providing zero disk failure tolerance, a RAID 0 partition is optimized for performance only, and is therefore not suitable for use with SQL Server. (Image provided courtesy of Advanced Computer and Network Corp., http://www.raid.com.)
Figure 2.3. A RAID 1 partition mirrors each disk to a mirror pair, therefore allowing continued operation in the event of a disk failure. (Image provided courtesy of Advanced Computer and Network Corp.)
Figure 2.4. Each write to a RAID 5 partition involves multiple reads to calculate and store parity information. For SQL Server systems with substantial write activity, RAID 5 is often a poor choice. (Image provided courtesy of Advanced Computer and Network Corp.)